Most read stories for the week include a story on the NAIC revisiting annuity suitability standard after a court vacated the Department of Labor's Conflict of Interest Rule, and the OTC Markets is looking to crack down on illegal stock promotion.

I-banks in a transatlantic arms race

Great Falls, Mont.-based D.A. Davidson & Co. and Hamburg-based MCF Corporate Finance GmbH announced in February that they would work together when advising clients on the origination and execution of transatlantic mergers. The partnership should give each investment bank greater exposure overseas. Both the companies hope their transatlantic partnership helps them keep up with the competition.

Quota-share brings 'The General' more fully into American Family's fold

A new 100% quota-share agreement involving the in-force, new and renewal business of the nonstandard auto insurers operating as "The General" impacted American Family Mutual Insurance Co. S.I.'s 2017 results in several respects.

NAIC revisiting annuity suitability standard after court decision on DOL rule

The National Association of Insurance Commissioners is reconsidering its draft proposal on annuity sales standards in light of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit decision vacating the Department of Labor's Conflict of Interest Rule.

OTC Markets looks to crack down on illegal stock promotion

OTC Markets Group Inc. has released a new classification it is using to identify securities that have been subject to misleading stock promotion, marking the market operator's latest step to help regulate its own trading venues, which house about 10,000 securities.